Ex-Premier League referee admits to booking a player who asked to be carded!

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey says he’s experienced players asking to be booked — and he’s obliged in a chat on CNN.

Halsey recalls a Premier League game from 2011 when a player approached him quite literally asking for a yellow card.

“He’s just said ‘listen, look, we’ve got a game Tuesday. If I don’t get cautioned now and get one Tuesday, I’ll miss the big derby on the Saturday,” Halsey told CNN.

“So he just asked me if I could show a yellow. And I did actually.

“I said to him, ‘Alright, we’ve got 10 minutes to go, when I give a free-kick against you’ — and I knew I would because he’s that sort of player — ‘just leather the ball 50 yards away and I can caution you for dissent.’